Joseph van ackeren



J. VAN ACKREN. AMMoNm AND TAR RECOVERY Pnocess. APPLCATIN FILED AUG. l2, |918. 1,307,571 Patented June l24, 19M) 72g .Turi

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JOSEPH v'AN'AcKERnN', orPI'rTsBUReH, rENNsirLvariIA, AssreNon To THE normas' COMPANY. or PITTSBURGH, rENnsYLvANrA, A conrona'rron' or J rmmsjrr'. \T`A1 \r1a kv.AMMONIA AND T AR REcovEaYMPnoeEss-f- T ZZ whom-it may concern.' y

Be it known that I, Josnrl VAN ACKERE'N',

(assigner to H. Koppels Company, a corpo ration of Pennsylvania) a-subject of Grer-A many, lwho has declared his intention of becoming 4a citizen of the United States, and

is residing in Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania,have

invented a new and useful Ixn )rovement in Ammonia. and Tar Recovery recesses, of which the following is a specification:` 3

' My invention relates primarily to the recovery ofitar and of ammonia,froin,..pro

ducer-gas and from coke-oven gas and has .15 `for an objecttl1`ef" ei iicient production of'a' clean, dust-free and vI iigh-grade tar,- and for" affurther object the recovery of ammonia from producer-gas :and cokefoven gas simulf taneously in a'conibined production of high-1 grade alnmoniumsulfate derived from the ammonia' of both the producer-gas and-@he coke-oven gas 1n a unitary operation; and

the inxf'ention may also be applicable to the treatment of. a gas or gases otherwise derived from the carbonization ofI coal, `and may also have such other. objects andresults as are found to obtain in the processes hereinafter set forth and claimed. Y In the accompanying drawings, .FigureV 1 is a conventional diagram illustratingl an embodiment of the invention lin a preferred arrangement of apparatusfor practisin vits processes; and Fig. 2 is a key to the sym ls enilaloyed in the various linesthat show the ,connections between the apparatus indicated indicates '..iivith producer-gas vderived from the o gasfproducer 6. Theevolved producer-gas' fronrsaid gasproducer 6 passes first to the electrical preclpitator 7. Such producergas" entering the electrical precipitator isv still at very high temperature, about 450 'C., and its'water saturation point is only about 80 (Land therefore it is still greatly superheated in respect of its water and tar and these; and its other vaporizable content, are carried as vapor into and 'through such precpitator 7 and tsaid precipita-tor acts o'nly to free the passing gas from dust and other solid impurities in its current. AFrom said precipitato'r 7 the producer-gas, without having undergone appreciable cooling, passes to the superheater 8,-.through which a coke-oven battery from: h' coke-oven gas is derived -and that is specmcation of Letters ment. "I' at1entm1V .runegleig l191.9. Application filed August l12,1918.- `seria1No.249,3s1.

it flows in counter-current f withf .the :sa-turated alr that is on theway to the producer.;

YThis saturated: air has a 4'temperaturefof about 7 0- when it enters the said-super- .heater.8; and a-s'a' result of' the heat inter- `60 change in passing through this fsuperhv'eater, the producer-gasissues with its temperaturey reduced to about 280 C., and the air issues cooled producer-gas from the 'said super-v heater 8 passes, stillcarrying its water-and tar. as vapor, tofthe Water-sprayed cooler' l9, \vh1ch has the prirna1 y"' f function of further 70 coolingthegasto a large extentfand tlie'incidental function of further cleaning" such gas 'by precipitating .any residue of dust', or

`tar may,y also be', taken 'out lin f said coolen 9 75 andrequire to be drainedfroin itsdisharge trough 10 into the tar tank 1 1.tl iel Wastewater from said trough=l0 ,.Qdischargin through the outlet line 12. But nearlyz of `the tar is carriedthrou h saidA cooler as' -80 vapor inthe. gas because t e gas enters the cooler at a temperature ofabout 2800.0. and is'still superheated -when leaving it, though cooled Adown toward about C. vSuch still superheated producer-gas'passes `from 85 'said cooler 9 to the'coxnpartment 13 of an' electrical preciitator, which-it entersat a temperature ofp about 909.' C., and at. such temperature the tar, approaching thexeharacter of a` finelycomr'mnutedpmist, yyi'll be 90 precipitated.; and-the clean tar'soI `i"ecipi4- tated is v'dischargedy into the taran liquor tank 14; from ,which `ity flows into theaforesaid tar-tank 11. The producer-gaspasses from said tar-precipitator compartment-13 95 through the`.jgas-line.15 to theh'ot acidl washer tower 16, which it entersat Iill-tem- ,y

peratre of about`-85"4 C.,1still alittle ab ve its saturation. oint, In said acid'tower t 1e ammonia is a sorbed'froml the producex- 10e gas and `the nmonia-freed producer-gasvr leaves the acid -vva'sher at afteinperatureof about 82 C., still' slightly aboveits saturation point of80 Cf., the acid-solution'being kept hotby the absorption reaction,"`so that there'y can not ""be Vany diluting of the axnn'xonia absorbing adid-solution that is lflowing'through said acid Washer; and by reason ofthe little superheat remaining in the gas practically"` no water is picked up Such clean, cool Aand relati vely' dry pro?A pump 35, to tlieftopof the sald air-saturator` such producer-gas bythe gas in inlfthrough said ncid washer, and so liber b ammoniumA sulfate in sa acxd washer. Thence, the ammoniafreed gas flows "through the acid separator 17, in which it 'is freed of such acid/ds it may carry withy it, and thentiows hrough the as-line '18 to the "first-tage nal-cooler 1 through which it flows ilpiounter-cuirent with warm water that enters such cooler Aat about 50 C. In this cooler the ga's'is cooled "to about C. und` to a great extent del; rdrated and thence passes, through the gag,- ine 20, to the second-stage final-cooler 21, lthrough which it passes in counter-currentrwith cold water and issues finally: dehydrated and cooled -to aftemperature of about 25 C.

duce`r-gas is drawn off, through the gas-line 22, by the exhauster 23, and thence is for- Warded to 4the producer-gas holder 24 and on,l through the producerfgts line 2 5, to the beforementioned coke-ovens 5, in which is burned to provide vthe heat for the co ing ofthe coal-charges of the ovens.` j -1 The ammoniacharg'ed,acid-solution from the aforesaid acid washer 16 is conveyed to the mother-liquor tali-k 2( ,`whiclr;feeds the saturator 27 Said mother-liquor ltank 26 alsoreceives thedrain rom the saturators drain# table 28 andcetrifugal drier 29 and the surplus acid-solution from said mother-liquor4 `,tank is Pforced'b'a'ick,-l; y thev acidpump,30,

to 'the acid-washerlf maintaining a con- 'stant 'circulation of the hot acid-solution, to whiclr'a pro rtion of fresh acid 1s constantly-'adde jfromthesaeid-tank 31. i" 1 Thev beforemention'ed' primary cooler 9 and second-stagev inalicooler 21, for the producergas,zarezcooled by. fresh water con-v4 tii'iuonsly supplied `from the water-tank'32,

.and from both of these coolers the waste- Water flows to *the sewer. But the firststage final-cooler 19.',3 for the producer-gas, re-

; ceives itsrwarmywatenat a temperature, as A before mentioned, of about 50 C., from the air-saturator tower v33, from which such water isdmwl'r-by thegWarm-water pump 34; and the waterwi'ssuing from said rststage final-cooler 19 has-a temperature of about 80. C. a isvolced, by' the hot-water tower,l i'nto which it is sprayed,-thcre being, as just mentioned, a constant recircu- A lation of,water "[:fthrough said first-stage final-cooler andsaipd air-saturator. The a1r to be Saturated and heated is forced into said air-saturator towerfby the air fan 36, and enters the` towerat a temperature of about 25o C. ,The :airpleaves the tower satu` rated at a temperaturegof about C. land passes through theauj-line' 37 to the beforementioned superheaterf-S, through which it flows-in counter-current'with the hot proe is no nprecipitation of p ducer-gas. Issuing from said.superheater` the air has a temperature of about 220 C. and passes to the grate of the producer, as before mentioned. A portion of -the hot roducer-gas issuin from the:I producer may introduced into t iis air-line through the Fcondensate of tar and ammonia-liquor is drained from such coolerandconveyed to the tar. and liquor tank 14, in `which, the ftar and ammonia-liquor 'are' seratcd, the tar flowing oil' into the tar tank 1-1` -and the ammonia-liquor flowing to the ammonia-still 43. The vapors from this still flow, at a temperature of-about 100 C.,

through the ammoniavapor lineL 44 leading le coke-oven gas-line between the exiutot hauster 4:1- and the 'electrical 'precipitator .,by-passrS, as av further control of theheat compartmentl 42, and the mixture of suchA vapors and coke-oven gas enters the said precipitator at a temperature of about 35 C. u At this temperature both the tar residue j in the coke-oven gas and the water of 'the stillfvapors will be precipitated, lin .said pref cipitator compartment 42,'v and the so precipitated tar and condensate flow olfy from the precipitator into the before-mentioned tar and liquor tank 14.' The tar-freed cokeoven gas, with its own content of ammonia and 'its admixture of ammonia-vapor from Y the still, flows from the electrical precipitator compartment 42 to the before-mentioned saturator 27, entering the same at a temperature of about .35 C. 0r such 4temf perature maybe' raised a little by passing .the Agas through the small reheater 45,

around which the gas is preferably bypassed on its way from the said recipitator 42 to the said saturator 27, E through the saturation-bath of the said saturator 27, the coke-oven gaar-both givesV up its ammonia and effects the` evaporation requisite to precipitate thev ammonium 4sulfate derived not only from said ammonia of the Lcoke-oven gas but also fromv the'ammonia of the acid-solution from the acid-washer 16 for the 'producer-gas, thus accomplishin a combined and simul- 'taneousirecovery o. theammonia from both the Acoke-o venfV gas and the producer-gag, in

a., uniform and high grade of ammonium sulfate,.al1 produced from one saturationbath,t coke-oyen' issuing fromthe ischarging .sa urator 27, atw a temperature of about 45" C.; passes toz the *final-cooler46,` which is sprayed with coldA Water froln"the beforementioned water tank 32. And such `inally `cooled 'coke-oven gas, at .a temperature' of.A about C., passes from said final-cooler;

' Vto the coke-ov'enrgas-holdr -and :thence tofw'hatever service 4it maybe employedin. The processeslof -the invention mayqbe' particular embodiment -that hasbeen. del scribed. for purposes of illustration, andstill "'be within the scope and subject matter'of the claims hereinafter made. The disclosure hereinrelating to the twostage precipitation' o'fdust and-tar is made the subJect of a divisional application tile vMay 26,` 1919, Ser.'No. 299,854.

I claimz' monia from producer-gas and 'coke-ovengas gas, Aat 'nearlyits saturation temperature, by

an acid-Wash; conveying. the mother-liquorl from suchacid-wash to a''saturation-bath;

and f pas'sing the tar-freed coke-oven.. gas, of relativply low temperature, 'through' said saturation-bath, therein '.eiectingthe absorption of ammonia from said coke-oven .gas and simultaneousl 4effecting l@he deposi- .tion of ammonium sulgatederived ,from both such ammonia. given upby the coke-oven 'gas and from the aforesaidy .mother-'liquor charged withthe ammonia of theproduoergas; the heat inv the saturator-bath being mainly( derived from the heating of the acid-solution in the acid-Wash for the hightemperature gas, andthe relatively `lowtemperature gas acting as the carrier for the evaporation4 from the saturationbath through which said gas passes; substantially as specified.

2. In a process for the recovery of tar and `ammonia from. producer-gas, the .combinationV of steps that consists .im electrically precipitating the dust from the hot gas from the producer; then' .subJecting said dustreed gas to a primary coolingl by passing it l in counter-current with the air going to the producer; then further cooling and cally pr cipitating the residue ofthe" tar from suc partially cooled but still hot gas; .and then passing such still hot' gas throu lr an acid-wash to absorb the ammonia; su

'annnonia from producer-gasand coke-oven gas simultaneously, the combination of steps that consists in: electrically precipitating the dust frmuqth-.v hot producer-gas from the producer; subjecting said dustffrjeed-gas to a primary cooling by passing 1t 1n counter- 1. In a process for therecovel of am with the-air going to the producer? the .coke-oven gasrom the ovens through a primary-j cooling operatlon and then elec- `practised 1n variousways, other than the trically precipitatingthe` residue of the tar oven .gas,A of relatively low temperature, yto

and through avsaturation-.bath 'to which the a mother-liquor` from the'acid-wash fof-the *producer-ga's is alsoconveyed, and effecting the deposition of the ammonium sulfate in' said saturationbath ,the heat 'in thesaturator-bath being -mainly derived fromv the heating of Athe acid-solution in the acid-'Wash for'the high-'temperature gestand-the 'relation-bath through which said gas passes: substantially. as, specified.i 1

- therefrom; andpasslng such tar-freed coketively low-temperature gas actlng as the carv rier for'the evaporation from the saturamonja from roducer-gasandcoke-ovengas clude 4both-diluting of said solution and the depositioniof` ammonium sulfate therein; conductingsaid ammonia-charged acid-solu- .peraturenea'ri enough. -to the saturationpointof saidgas'so as .substantially to pretion' to a saturation-bath;Y and passing the tar-freedcoke-oven' gas, "of relatively low temperature, ,through said saturation-bath at a temperature lsuch that said coke-oven gas, giving 5iipiits own ammonia in said bath, eifects thelflfcontinuous Adeposition of ammonium sulfate in said bath; the heat in tlie saturatorbath being inainly derived from the heating of the acid-solution in the acid-Wash for'the'high-temperature gas, and the relatively low-temperature gas' acting as the carrier for the evaporation from the saturation-bath through which said .gas passes; substantiallyI as specified.

5. In a process :for the recovery vof ammonia from coke-oven gas,vthe combination of ste s that consists in: cooling the gas and draining off the condensate ammonialiquor.; passingthe said-gas and the still-vapors together through an electrical precipitator, to precipitate the tarv residue from the gas and the-water from the still-vapors; and then.

distilling said ammonia-liquor;

` other gas'gan'd @from the aforesa liquoi charged fw'ith'thethe ammoni of the of theac A Y W- fiwrl monia front'l the dust-freed and tar-freed gas?v of one .tying at .nearlyl its saturation temf y luiheid-wash; conveying the saturation-bath; and passing 'the tar-freed*Y other as, --ofl relativelyl low,tem ratur'e'r,

throug 1 said saturation-bath', therein eiect';

in the absor tion of ammonia from saidot 1er lgosen simultaneously effecting thel depositionwof arnl'rioiium sulfate derived from both such ammonia, given u by said motherfirst-named gas; thev heat in the saturatorbath bei *mainly derived from the heating xirPi-solution in the acid-wash for thehigh-temporuturej gas, `und the relatively low-temperature gas acting us the carrier for the evaporation fromfthe suturationfbath through which said gos passes; substantially ,as specified.

7. In u process for theiecovery of am- V monin from two different ammonia-charged gases simultaneously:the combination of stops that consists 1n: absorbm the ammoniu fro1n'"tlie5tur-freed gus 0X. one type by passing said-:gus through mi acid-solution at u temperature near enough to the sotvurntionlpointof'said gas so us Substantially 1 to, n'ecludcfbotl pdlutng of said solution i the deposition of ummoniurh sulfate therein; conducting suid ammoniwchurg'cd fola;v saturation-bath; andI passing the tarfreed'other gas, offrelativelylow temperature, through :seid saturation-:hath

vfOr @he high-temperature gas,` and the rele-'- tively low-temperature gas acting as the carf rier for the evaporation from the saturation-1 bath through which said gas passes.; 'gsubstantially as specified.

8.`In aprocess for the vrecover-y' of monia from ammonia-charged gas, the combinaton of ste s-that consists in: cooling the gas vend ammonia liquor; distilling' said 'ainmonaliquor;T passing the said gas and the still-1' raining oiA the condensate.

vapors together through an electrical pre-' cipitatoig'to recipitate the tar residu'efrom the gas and .t 1e water -froin the still-vapors; 1

and then passing the coin-mingled gas and still-vaporsv through en nrnmoniuubsorbiiig acid-solution and eii'ectmg the deposition of.

ammonium-sulfate; substantially es,v `.speci-f 'Y '5 0 lied. 1

4In testimony whereof I hereunto hand in the presence. of two Subsc/frikiugru?l n'esses.

lVitnesses:

JOSEPH DVORAK, W. V. BLACKSTONE. n

Jos. m A CKEREN; 

